Reports: Manchester United set to bid for €46 million rated Barcelona midfielder

What’s the story?

The Daily Star reports that Jose Mourinho is interested in boosting his midfield following his successful capture of Victor Lindelof. While United have been heavily linked with Fabinho, they are also set to table a €46 million bid for the Portuguese star Andre Gomes. The box-to-box midfielder signed from Valencia last year by Barcelona for €35 million was not a huge hit at the Camp Nou and thus the Catalans may be willing to talk to their United counterparts.

In case you didn’t know

Andre Gomes attracted attention from all over after a stellar season at Valencia and chose to move to Barcelona in the summer of 2016 right after playing an integral part in Portugal's run to European Championship glory. After that, though, it’s all been a downhill spiral with the midfielder never really settling in at Barcelona, especially with the Blaugrana themselves seemingly confused about the way they should play.

At times Gomes featured in a midfield three, while at others he was asked to play the wide man in a four-man midfield and although he showed glimpses of his undoubted talent, a return of 3 goals and 3 assists this season is a testament to just how underwhelming his performances have been.

The heart of the matter

Still only 23, Andre Gomes has the best years of his footballing career ahead of him and Mourinho might just be pulling off a masterstroke here by bringing a player with more than a couple of points to prove to partner Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera. His endless running style would complement the other two perfectly and would add a new dimension to the United midfield.

Video

A throwback to a happier time for Senor Gomes:

We must remember, the lad CAN play!

Author’s Take

While it might seem as a shock to many that a so-called flop is attracting so much money, we must keep in mind that he is a rather good player – and judging him solely on the lackluster performances of one season amounts to folly. Mourinho’s interest stems from the fact that his compatriot has the qualities that he likes to see in his players – determination, mental strength, box-to-box stamina, and a calm head when the ball is at his feet.

Ernesto Valverde, though, needs to make sure that Barcelona recruit properly before they finalise a deal – the Catalan’s biggest weakness last season was their ridiculous lack of squad depth and they need to make sure a repeat doesn’t happen.